Apparatus for the preparation of steeped beverages



Sept. 16, 1952 M. POUGET 2,610,571

APPARATUS FOR THE PREPARATION OF STEEPED BEVERAGES Filed June 5, 1948 Q 2 SHEETHHEET 1 Fig.1

Sept. 16, 1952 L. M. POUGET' 2,610,571

APPARATUS FOR THE PREPARATION OF STEEPED BEVERAGES Filed June 5, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 as 32 a Patented Sept. 16, 1952 UNITED OFFICE APPARATUS FOR THE PREPARATION OF I VSTEEPED BEVERAGES I v I Louis Marcel Pouget, Les Garennes, near 1 Vallieres, France I I Application June 5, 1948, Serial o. 31,246 In France June 6, 1942 a j p This invention isconcerned'with apparatus] for the preparation of steeped beverages and more particularly with apparatus provided with a strainer.

For the obtainment of satisfactory results, the 7 products used in the preparation of steeped beveragesshouldnot simply be leached; it; is rather necessary that the apparatus used and-the sub: stance itself should be heated progressively-to a definite temperature which'should not be ex- ;LThe invention has for its object ,a method "and an apparatus by means of which theproduct to be steeped, preliminarily heated in a receptacle having capillary holes at its upper part and provided at its lower part with an outlet orifice "adapted to-be closed' receives hot water only in reduced amounts through the capillary: holes at the will of the userunder the effect of the vacuum produced in'said receptacle either by the air expelled out of the receptacle or bythe bever age'flowing' through the outlet orifice. Several embodiments of an apparatusaccording t Q bhe invention are illustrated by way of "example infthe appendeddrawing.

" Figure l is-a' vertical sectioyf oi a first-fem- -'receptacle l made of any suitable material, preferably of aluminum or some other light metal of alloy. The kettle bottom is formed withan 1 inwardly projecting boss 2. The vessel-mayremain open, although it can be designed to receive a-*=g'as-tight cover 3 contingently carrying a warning'whistle 4 such as "usually provided on apparatus of that kind; The bottom ofthe kettle is also provided with a" central aperture in whicha sleeve having an inner thread is fitted and secured by soldering or otherwise; The-device used in the preparation of steeped beverages consists of a strainer received' in a cylindrical in'etalf box 6 -with an inwardly sloping conical bottom depressed in'its central portion which is provided with'a central'a'pertur'e the diameter of which is substantially equal to the outer diameter ofsle'eve' 5, whereby 'saidbox can beffitted on said sleeve. The latter is provided at its upper end with an external thread'on which-a nut 8 can'be threaded by means or whichthebox can be secured on the central boss-of the kettle with "box'stands at a certain distance at H.

Wards in a tube l3.

, 2 l the interposition "of a washer 9. In order to improve the stability of the box 6 that contains the strainer, said box may be rested at its periphery one ring in concentric with the boss 2, which ring in turn is rested or secured on the bottom of the kettle: "Said ring is apertured as shown The diameter of the box 6 is decidedly less than the inner diameter of the kettle, the whole beingso arranged that an annular space is provided 'between the outside of the box and the inside' 'of the kettle while the bottom "of the above the bottom ofthe kettle: e f f Slidably received in the box 6 is a cup-like member or basket 12, the flat'bott'om of which is provided with a great many *tiny holes surrounding a central aperture that extends up- The bottom of the basket 12 rests at the periphery thereof on the bottom of box 6, an empty space being left therebetween. The basket is designed to contain the cofiee or equivalent substance to be steeped.

Secured on the tube I 3 at some distance above the upper edge of the basket I2 is a stop ring I5 to serve as a rest for a circular distributing basket It which likewise'is slidably received in the box 6; provided in the flat bottom of said vbasket are a multiplicity of tiny holes and a 'central aperture whichextends in a sleeve I1 which has a snug fit on tube I3.

The box 6 is closed at the top thereof by a cover I8 which has a tight fit on the outside of the box and in which a few capillary holes H! are provided. 7 Secured in'a central circular aperture in the cover is a tube 20 which extends vertically to a certain height in the kettle and which loosely surrounds the tube [3 theheight of which is a little less. 7 tube 20 is a gasket 2| formed in' its upper orifice Secured on the upper end of with a conical seat 22,-

' Screwed in thetube 5 is the'lower end of a central rod 23 the diameter of which is enlarged at its upper end as shown at 24 to form a conical shoulder 25 adapted to cooperate-with theconical 'seat- 22 in the gasket-2 l. Milled in'the lower end of rod 23 is-alongitudinal groove 2-6" that ex- *conical shoulder 25 is resting on its seat 22.

The upper end ofthe enlargement 24' terminates in an operating-knob 21; -In-the embodiment illustrated said enlarged end of the rod projects through the cover 3' of the'kettle and the knob 3 '27 is located outside the same. However, said knob may also be located within the kettle which contingently may be used without any cover.

The apparatus as described may be laid on any suitable gas or electric cooking range, although the heating means may also be combined with theapparatus as an annular heating element (not shown) arranged in, the annular space surround the box 8 above the bottom of the kettle or at any other convenient place, the level of the water lowering only after stopping of the heating step. 1 v

I'he apparatus is used as follows:

The rod 23 is unscrewed and removed completely with the aid of knob 27. Likewise, the cover I8 is removed with the aid of tube 20, and so is the basket 15 by moving the latter along;

the tube it of the basket l2 which remains in position. Coffee powder or any other substance to be steeped is then filled into the basket I2 in the form of a loose heap as shown at M, care beingtaken that the level of the. stop ring I5 is not exceeded. The basket I6 is then seated again on the stop ring [-5 and. the box 6 Closed with its cover 88, whereafter the rod 23. is. inserted again ands'crewed home in the sleeve 5, whereby the-latter. is closed altogether since. the upper end of groove 28 is completely engaged. Consequently, the inside of the box 6 is completely out outfrom the outside. At the same time the conical shoulder 25will engage its seat22 in the gasketZi, with the resultthat any. "communication between the inside of the boXdan'd the insideof the kettle can only occur through the capillary holes l9..

The. kettle is then filled with cold, warm or hot water upto a level below the conical shoulder 25, i.- e... below the upper orifice of tube 25.. In spite. of the communication establishedthrough the-holes t9; the cover [8, no water. can enter the box since the said capillary holes are too small in diameter tomake. an. exchange of the fluids. possible at atmospheric, pressure.=

Where e. g cold wateris used, same is. heated toboiling temperature by laying the kettle on.

any suitable heat.- source. The water that surrounds the box ii-is brought progressively. to boiling; temperature, while: as, a, result of the heat transmitted thereby the product tobe steeped and contained in the box is heatediin a waterbath. Consequently, thearoma is expelled from the, substance and thelatter is well prepared prior to any contact with the hot water. On-the other hand-,. theair present in the. box is expandedv and expelled. through the capillaryv holes as bubbles that..wil-l ,burst atthesurf-ac ef of the liquid present in the-kettle.

Once the water hasreached boiling temperature, heating is. discontinued; and the apparatus is allowed to stand for a while. Asthe temperature sinks, the residual air present in. the box contracts, whereby a vacuum is; created therein by the action of which the water in thekettle is suckedinto therbox and falls into the basket [5 by which itis, distributed uniformly over thesubstance heaped in the, lower basket [2; Water will goon oozing into the box 6 until equality in the pressures is obtained-v the rod 23. is unscrewed with the aid of the knob.

. whole length of the percolation step.

21 until the upper end of the groove 26 is clear from the upper end of the sleeve 5. As a consequence, the valve cone 25 is lifted clear of its seat 22 so that air can enter the box 6 from the outside through the annular space 28 between tube 29 and tube 13, whereby the beverage can flow out'through. sleeve 5, and can be consumed immediately. 1

The operation is the same where hot water is used, except it is not necessary to set the apparatus on a heat source.

In some instances, notably with large apparatus, it may be desirable to maintain the heatin up to or even after the end of the steeping process in order to keep the beverage at a uniform temperature as it is drawn ofi. In addition to the advantages arising as already stated from the Water-bath heating of the substance and from its being Watered as a result of a suction effect due to the thermal expansion of the air presentin the box 6, it should be pointed out that the substance is removed from the action of moisture forthe. whole duration of the heating step that precedes the steeping step.

The box 6. isin direct contact with the water in the kettle all over its surface and remains tightly closed throughoutthe period of preparation, which is favorable to satisfactory development of the aroma and to theefiiciency of the steeping process.

Irrespective of the fineness of the substance. in the box the liquid in the kettle is removed from any direct contact. with said substance for the The tube 25 extends somewhat below the cover i8. Consequently, when. the levelof the liquid hasrisen up to the. lower end of the tube 20, an air cushion entrapped between the level of the liquid and the cover prevents the product. to be steeped; from escapingv into the water in the kettle.

In; contrast to, automatic apparatus in which the substance isleachedwith water under normal pressureorwitha mixture: of hot water and. steam in fluid-tight vessels, the substance is watered in the apparatus according to the invention as a .result of a vacuum which is created within the box 6 and which in addition controls the amount of water admitted thereintoas well as the maintenance of a certain mass of air, by which the watering of the. substance is stopped automatically as soon as pressure equality is reestablished.

Theapparatus according to the invention is not liable to explode;- since; it is operated under normalrpressure, the cover; 3 being dispensed with ifdesired. In the particular case of theapparatus illustrated.- in Fig. 1, heating may. bediscontinued assoon as, a. warning; is. given by the whistle: t that the water is. boiling. In fact, said whistle will perform the function of a. safety valve by precluding any rise inthe pressure with-in the kettle; whichriseafter all is; useless. for the. reasons. already explained. a i v The apparatuscan bemanufactured at lowcost since mostof, its :parts can bepunchedor pressed from; e., g: sheet. aluminu contingentlywithout annw i e. step-v The strainer and the kettle can befilled. quite readily and the-parts are so shaped that they will resist any; net too rough, handling and can be cleaned easily. V

Asfar; asthe qualityof the beverage isconcerned it is immaterial that cold, warm orihot water is used initially In; thegembodiment, illustrated in, Fig the receptacle 1 sutrOllHdstheboxG completely. The

apparatus: may howeverbeiso designedthat the receptacle, encloses only:a part .or the;box.i .Moreover the sealingmeans may be designed :otherwise than as showninFig.1. Thus, .in the apparatus illustrated ,inFig. 2, the 5 box 6 is solidzwith the receptacle l the perforated .-",cover:l8 rests on a shoulder.30. of said receptacle 1.:- Secured'to; the strainer .12 .and opening into :the space. therebelow isla tube 3| fitted. ina-fluid- .tight Shel/.6201. gasket 32; received in an aperture 33 providedin the cover. The tube 3| extends upwards iabove the maximum level of the liquid 4 inthe receptacle 1. Projecting with .a certain amount of: playthrough the tube 3|.is a spindle valve 35,.th'e lower. conical" end 35 of which coiipwerates with thefisleeve while its upper end carries a screw plug. 36 cooperating with; a itappedwneck. 3l'r'onuthe .cover v3 of v the re- 'ceptacle..l.. -The said screw plug 36 is formed at its lower. end .with a central recess 38' adapted to'close the 'top orifice'of tube 3| at the r same'time as the sleeve 5 is closed by the needle valve 35. A sleeve 39 on which a shoulder 30 of the 'receptacle l is rested serves to seat the whole apparatus on a cup, ag-lass'o'r any other vessel. It will be appreciated that the apparatus according to Fig. 2 operates in the samemanner. as the i one shown inFig. 1. I l

The closing means used inthe embodiment shown-in' Fig. 1 may be used in connectionwith the apparatus illustrated in- Fig. 2 and conversely, -'both"of said closing means-are'controlled with the aid of one single rod.

"However, it is also possible to provide for a separate control as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3; the apparatus illustrated therein is similar to the one shown in Fig. .1 except ,thesleeve 5 extends in a spout 4B controlledby; a handoperated cock 4!. The tube secured tothe cover [8 of box 6 extends above the receptacle 1 and is closed by a separate plug 42. After having introduced the product to-be steeped into the box- '6, closed the cock 4| and put on tube 20 water orf he fills the kettle "with coldp'waterand ifihdatfl said water by means any suitable heating device. The productto beisteeped becomes ;f i'thusiwarmjand air escapes from-the box', 6, through "the holes'l9. The heating-step is then stopped, and as the temperature decreases, air in the box is contracted and vacuum is produced, whereby water enters into the box and is distributed over the coffee or other product to be steeped. If it is desired at any moment to stop the arrival of water in the box 6, it will be suflicient to remove the plug 42: air will enter the box 8, the pressure in the box will be equal to the atmospheric pressure and water will no longer ooze through the capillary holes. If cock 4| is then opened, the steeped beverage will flow through the sleeve 5 and the tube 40, while due to the resulting vacuum produced in the box 6, water of the kettle I will enter the box 5 in proportion of the amount of beverage flowing out through the tube 40.

It is also possible to use the apparatus with the plug 42 always removed from the tube 20.

In such a case, when the product to be steeped has been heated, equilibrium between the pressures is always maintained, and water enters the box 6 only in proportion of the beverage flowing out of said box. It is obviously possible to continue heating of the kettle l as long as desired.

In all the apparatus disclosed hereinbefore the steeping process may be divided into the following steps:

1. Bra-heating the substance-prior to its waterinm-A's aresult of the heatln'giaction of the water theair present inthe gas-tight box finds its only way out through the capillary holes in the :box cover and bubbles up through the mass of water present in the top portion of: the

. receptacle.

2. Maceratz'ng the .substance.iAs a. result of the escape of part of the air. from the box and of the subsequent decrease in the temperature a vacuum-is created by the action of which a corresponding amount of water is sucked in through the capillary holes until the pressures become equal. The maceration of the. substance'with a the permanent action of which the water supply is adjusted automatically in direct relation'with the amount of beverage drawn off.

1 It isto be understood that the invention is not limited to. the examples described hereinbefore since many modifications may be.made inthe various parts of the apparatus and particularly in the flow-controlling members without thereby departing from the scope-.of the inventionas defined in the following claims.

What I:claimas newis: 1. An apparatus for the preparation of steeped beverages.- comprising in combination a-box designedto contain the substance to be steeped, a beverage draw-off duct leadingfrom the bottom of said box, means tof. control the outflow from said-duct; a strainer at the bottom of said 'box through which the beverage can flow towards the draw-off duct while-the substance steeped is retained inthe box, a cover-on said box provided with capillary holes, areceptacle adapted to contain a liquid and the side walls of which extend around and above said cover, a' tube projecting through th'cover'and the-receptacle; one end of which opens into thebox'while its-other end opens in the atmosphere above the maximum level of the' liquid inthe receptacle, and means to close said tube whereby the inside or the box can be connected with or cut off from the surrounding air.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 comprising in addition a spindle extending through the tube leading from the box towards the surrounding air and provided on the one hand with means to close the beverage draw-off duct and on the other hand with means to close the tube leading to the outside, whereby the outflow of liquid and the inflow of air can be controlled by one single displacement of said spindle.

3. An apparatus for the preparation of steeped beverages comprising in combination a box designed to contain the substance to be steeped, a beverage draw-off duct leading from the bottom of said box, means to control the outflow from said duct, a strainer at the bottom of said box through which the beverage can flow towards said draw-ofl duct while the substance steeped is retained in the box, a cover on said box provided with capillary holes, a receptacle designed to receive a liquid, the walls of which extend around and above the cover. a tube projecting through said cover and the receptacle, one end of which opens into the box while its other end opens into the atmosphere above the maximum *leiwzel of the thquidfirl Tithe receptacle, said :tube being secured in fluid-tightkmainner: on the eove'r, {and meanstoi-restablish or cutout theflow through "said-tube. V r

-4. apparatus according to claimz3, inrwhich ;.to ,receive ailiqui'd; the walls-of Whichrdxterid around and above said 'coven'ia' tubei projecting through said covertandii-the receptaclaone endof which opens into the box while its othersend 'opens into the atmosphere' above'the maximumflevel sof athe liquidintheireceptaclegsaidrtube projecting.

fluid-tightmannerthrough'thecover;and'being fsfec-ured t the' strainer, and T'means o to establish ';or cut OlltjthBifiOW "of air through sai'ditube.

1 1 "A1 1- apparatusi according to" claim '1 where- Vin't'he brox .is completelyienclos'ed in thereceptacle. 7. An apparatus/for th'eipreparationof"steeped beverages comprising in rcom'binat'ion a receptacle-adapted to contain a warm liquid and providedx'in its'bottom W311 with an 'outletorifice,

a box designed, :to "contain" the substance to 'be 1 treated and contained in the lower part of said -areceptacle and. provided in its bottom wall with a dIQJWr-Olf orifice located just above and adjacent 'to--sai'doutlet orifice of said receptacle, 1 tubular connecting means opening'on one side in said box-and on the other side out of said receptacle ;and-extending through said draw-off orifice and I through said outlet orificeand clamping the bot- ,tom of said box on the bottom of said receptacle so as to connect-securely said box on said re- ;ceptacle ina fluid tight manner,- a cover on said box provided with capillary holes; and means to I control the outflow throughsaid tubular connecti-ng means.

' 8. Anapparatus accordingito claimwLwherein --'the Whole receptacle is arranged above the cover of. the box, said cover providing "the 'bottoni of said receptacle; r

9. Anap'iparatusrfor the preparationiofsteeped beverages comprising in combination a receptacle provided with an'outlet orifice in its bottomw-all and with'an annular shoulder on its inner lateral 'surface',.ra strainer on the bottom of.- said receptacle adapted to support. the substance "to be treated, a covervprovided with capillary holes and adapted to be' supported onssaidannular shoulder above said strainer, and means-to control the outflow through said outlet orifice.

10. Anapparatus for the preparation of steeped :beverages comprising in 'coinbin'ationa boxidesigned to contain: the substance to 'bersteeped and .provided with a-d'raw-offi orifice infitsr 'bottomwall, a cover on the "upper edge ot-said box provided. with capillar'yholes, and -a receptacle adapted to contain warm liquid-andthe side walls of which extend around and at least above said receptacleadapted'to-contain a warm liquid-and file .of: this patent? .7 Number "11. An apparatus for the preparation of steeped beverages comprising in combination :a -box*designed to contain the substance to be steeped and provided with a draw-off orifice in its bottom wall, a cover on the upper edge of said box provided with capillary holes, means to-control the outflow through said draw-off orifice,- and a the side walls of which extend'aroundand at least above said cover. m

LOUISMARCEL PQUGET. iiteiieessessen et :The following references are of record ii'nathe UNITED" STATES PATENTS 

